So apparently I'm either terrible at making early adjustments, or I'm just a friggin moron.  Or both.  As they used to say on the football commercials in the 80's "you make the call".

I really wasn't awful in Game 1 this week, but couldn't carry.  Only 2 strikes, with 2 opens, including a joyous 5-7 in the first frame just to get me off on the right foot.  172. Whoo hoo.

Went X X X 9/X in the first 4 game two, and then crapped out for 206.

Game 3 started X X 9/ X.  Good deal.

Then the fun begins: 6-7-10, 4-7-10, 9/ and get this, 4-5-8.  Was able to strike out 9th and 10th for a 191.  Oh the joy.  So yet another sub-600.

I got my ball sanded down with 400 before the night started, after trying the 600 the week before.  Ball rolled pretty well when I rolled it, but when you're as inconsistent as I am, you can put a nuclear bomb on the weight block and it doesn't mean squat.

Getting my ball resurfaced this week, and then I've run out of any excuse I could kid myself into using.

Now at 196, I'm exactly where I ended last season.  So much for improvement.

I have three words, and they're all "blah"

I never used to have this problem, but for the life of me, I just cannot seem to get out of my own way in game 1.  Nearly every week I put myself into a hole.  I feel like I need to bowl a game before my league starts, just to get the crap out of my system.   Last night game 1....160!  Talk about putting your night in the crapper before you know what hit you.  I should have known that me eating chili for dinner was an an omen that I was eventually going to bowl like.....well, nevermind.

Game 2 as usual, I got my act together, but still didn't score.  Should have had the first 6, but left a wobbly 7-pin, a solid 9-pin, and a 10-pin.  Could just never put more than two strikes together (and that was only once). Ended up with a split on one of the two balls I threw that wasn't right in the pocket, and ended up with a 197.

Last game the lanes really broke down and it wasn't until the 9th-and-10th that I finally stopped throwing it like a little girl and gave the ball some room to not come in high.  Got the last four to salvage a 195 that's still below my avg.

At least the 10th helped us win the last game, and take all 7.  Not thrilled about 552 though.  Back down to 197 for the season.

Maybe I need to sand this ball down more, and FORCE myself to throw the ball properly.  Seems I only start throwing consistently when the lanes are dry enough to make me get it down 5 hard or be in the beak. When the lanes are well-oiled, I throw a slower shot, but am comprising a consistent extension out over the lane, and/or throw it with a weaker release and leave corner pins or near-washouts if i throw it really poorly.

I have to get on track.  This is killing me.

Hi all.  I had written a post last week about another poor outing (530-something I think), but it didn't upload properly, and didn't feel like re-writing about my fiasco, but I'm back now, and finally on-track again.

I finally figured out my release had gotten real lazy and I was coming around the side of the ball. When the lanes broke down I was able to get away with it, but it explained my crappy starts. I finally thought about it enough that I took off the skirt (apologies ladies) and starting holding the ball with more authority and cupping the ball with a firmer wrist through the delivery, and was getting good rotation consistently (finally!)

I started off pretty well with a 214 in the first, and started pounding the pocket in game 2, getting the first six!  I was getting amped up at the prospects of making a run at 300, or at least my first high-game pot of the season. 7th frame: pounded it, ringing 10-pin....and missed the spare badly. 8th frame: pounded it, ringing 10-pin...missed it again.  Good one, Scott.  Nice!  Struck in the 9th, and left an 8-pin to start the 10th.....and missed that too! Unreal.  Another 214. Sad.

I bowled well in the last game, but narrowly missed the 3-10 baby split in the 6th, and struck out for 215 in the final.  The guys booed me for not purposely trying to get 9 in the fill ball for my triplicate! LOL.  After feeling like I deserved a shot at 300 in the second game, and blowing that whole game to hell by missing spares, I wasn't giving up a single pin, even if it meant a patch.

I figure if I miss my goal of averaging 200, by a single pin, I don't want to look back and say I purposely missed any single pin or shot.   I got up to 198 after last night's 643, and feel like I'm ready to make a move again.   Now if I can only make some spares........

I didn't bother a post last week, after rolling my most hideous series of the season: 534.  Littered with 10-pins and pocket splits on those rare occasions when I actually threw the ball well.

Last night didn't start off so hot, struggling with a 192 leading off, with XX8 in the 10th to get there.  I didn't find my stroke until midway through game 2, grinding out a 225 and then put together a clean 237 in the last, clearing the deck on the final 6 balls.  654....one of my better series of the year and got the ol' average back up within sniffing range of the elusive 200 mark.

If you've bothered to read this far, do any of you bowl in leagues where the pins are standing during the practice session?  Is that even allowed under the rules? I find that the practice period is good for warming up, shooting 10-pin spot etc.   But I feel like the ball I'm confident is a strike ball in practice, isn't so, once the pins are up.  It ends up taking me several frames to make the proper adjustment.  Sometimes I feel like the practice misleads me more than it helps.

Part of my problem is only bowling once a week.  If I bowled more often I'd probably adjust more quickly and not depend on my practice as a guide.  Can anyone relate stories about transitioning from once-a-week, to bowling more often, (with actual oil out there!) and how it affected their game?

I feel like a 200-avg. for once a week bowling is pretty decent, but really feel like I'm a hair or two away from making the move from your average-good bowler, to perhaps an upper level one.

Ok, so this week another hiedous start to Game 1.  If I post this same thing next week, for a third consecutive week, I'm going to start questioning whether it's more than just coincidence! LOL

I felt real good in practice and proceeded to hit the pocket for a 7-10 split in frame 1. 10-pin and missed spare in frame 2.  Solid pocket hit, 8-10 split in frame 3, and then yanked one into the nose for a 6-7-10 split in frame 4.  36 going into the 5th.  Oh the joy.

I was able to find my shot (and carry) and turkeyed 5-7 and 9-11, and salvaged a 182.

The next game was smooth sailing. A clean 236 with 2 10-pins, and a 2-4.  Last game started out rough, opening 2 of the first 3, but came back for 196 and a 614 to boost my avg. a little.

I just got back into bowling last year, and have never averaged 200, but am a 645 away from it next week.  I'll definitely be psyched to get there then, or as soon as possible.  I know that's not going to scare any pros, but it would be a great first step :)  I would love to roll in a regional and see what those conditions are like and how I could do against the big boys lol.